Resource Capacity Planning Template Excel

In project management, project resource management is a key task that is usually monitored and maintained with the help of project management software. Resource planning is part of the project plan.

What is Resource Capacity Planning?

Resource capacity planner templates are used for the allocation and leveling of all types of project resources such as human resources, machines, and tools. Resource available capacity is compared with the demand to identify surplus/deficit in capacity.

Resources are modified based on availability or demand to meet objectives and their impact is analyzed instantly.

The simple resource capacity planner template Excel spreadsheets can be made to help project managers to manage resources of multiple projects based on availability on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly basis.

The key function of this template is the leveling of resources. Overutilized and under-utilized resources are identified and balanced for resource optimization through the project lifecycle.

Resources are differentiated based on skill groups to effectively utilize them in multiple projects.

Five Excel Resource Capacity Planning Template

A 5 spreadsheets resource capacity planner template can be made using excel. Which is consist of the following sheets,

• Input Sheets
  • Settings
  • Capacity
  • Demand
• Output Sheets
  • Summary Sheet/Dashboard
  • Calendar

Setting Sheet

This spreadsheet is designed to enter the following general information about multiple projects;

• Planning Period: This option is used to specify the start and end date of the project.
• Weekends: This option is used to specify the weekdays as weekends. On weekdays availability capacity of resources will be zero by default.
• Holidays: This option is used to individually specify all the public holidays which will impact the project’s available resources and will set it to zero by default.
• Projects: This option is used to specify the number of projects for multiple project resource planning.
• Skill Groups: This option is used for grouping resources based on skill sets such as project managers, marketing, engineering, finance, accounts, and HR.

Resource Capacity Management Template

The capacity spreadsheet defines all available resources with complete details. It represents the following information about each available resource;

• Resource Name
• Start Date (Date from which resource becomes available)
• Working Hours (Standard work hours for each working day of each resource)
• Skill Group (Skill group to which resource belongs)
• Project (Each resource is allocated to one or more projects using this option)
• End Date (Date from which resource will become unavailable – For limited time resources only)
• Cost per Hour (Rate of Resource)
• Vacation and Overtime (It is specified in a separate sheet for each resource as start date, end date, and number of hours. Positive number specify overtime and a negative number is for vacation)

Demand Sheet:

The demand sheet represents the following information about each task;

• Date (Specify the task that has to be done)
• Resource (Resource name who will do the work)
• Hours (Working Hours)
• Detail (Enter details of a task)
• Project (Project to which the task belongs)
• Skill Group (Skill group required to perform the task)

Dashboard/

Summary Sheet

It’s an automatically generated output summary sheet that uses the data entered in the above stages to present the following useful information.

• Number of Projects
• of Skill Groups
• of Resources
• Planning Period
• Total Over Utilized Resources
• Total Under-Utilized Resources
• Breakdown of the total deficit in terms of project, skills, and resources.
• Breakdown of total surplus in terms of project, skills, and resources.
• Graphical representation of Capacity vs demand by projects, skills groups, and resources.
• Filters to individually see the details based on the project, skills group, or resource.

Calendar Sheet:

The dashboard just represents the deficit/surplus for the overall time period of the project. A resource shown as a deficit in the summary sheet may have surplus hours while looking at the day level scale.

That’s why it is important to make a calendar sheet to monitor deficits and surplus on a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis. The calendar sheet should present the following information;

• Settings (This option is used to choose parameters based on which one wants to see the output calendar)
  • Dimension (Resource, Skill Group, or Project)
  • Measure (Capacity, Demand, or Surplus/Deficit)
  • Unit (Hours or Cost)
  • Time Dimension (Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Semi-Annually, or Annually)

Based on the above-chosen setting parameter meters, the calendar presents the following information;

• List of Dimensions (Projects, Skill Groups, or Resources)
• Total Hours
• Total Cost
• Calendar

Benefits of Resource Capacity Planning Excel

RCP spreadsheets are useful in many ways such as;

• It streamlines the resources management process.
• It saves time
• It displays a summary sheet for a quick overview.
• It saves money for getting the licensee of costly software.
• It uses a pretty familiar and easily available excel spreadsheet tool.

Get Capacity Planning Template

Now, the point is from where you can download this template free of cost because most of the sites are offering old and non-customizable sheets. So, you don’t need to worry, from here you can get a free copy of this template. Just submit your query in the comments section.